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In today's Federal Register, DHS has (finally) published a proposed amendment to its regulations pertaining to the admission of HIV-positive foreigners looking to visit the United States, either for business or pleasure. AND HERE'S THE CHANCE TO SAY SOMETHING -- There's a public comment period that ends December 6th.

As was specified in the World AIDS Day fact sheet from the White House in December 2006, the Secretary of State would essentially work with the DHS to establish a more streamlined process for issuing nonimmigrant visas and temporary admission to foreigners who are currently inadmissible to the United States due to HIV infection. DHS is now proposing to allow foreigners to enter the United States as visitors for up to 30 days at a time, without being required to seek such admission under the more complex process provided under the current DHS policy (the "HIV waiver" program).

You can check out the proposed amendment by dowloading the following eight pages from the Federal Register (you'll need Adobe Acrobat for this):

It includes instructions on how to submit comments regarding the regulations. And with so many people in the Forums having something to say about the issue, I hope everyone will take some time to draft comments and submit them for review. This is the time to let your voices be heard.

The timing of this is simply remarkable, in light of the recent discusssions here.

Tim Horn

Edited to add: To be clear, this amendment merely streamlines the process for HIV-positive foreigners looking to visit the United States; it does not seek to nullify the broad "communicable disease" definition, as it applies to immigrant and nonimmigrant requirements, maintained by U.S. law.

I've made a few additional comments in a thread on this subject in the Living With HIV Forum. I really don't think this proposed rule is all that it's cracked up to be -- but it certainly provides us with the opportunity to address the issue directly with the Department of Homeland Security during this public comment period.

It looks like a lot of reading but I want to see where the fine print sits and what it says as well. Nothing good ever comes without strings attached when it involves the bureaucracy that is our federal government.

Thank you for posting this, and I see your edit as well as keyite's comment in the Living thread about the sort of lack of meat to this change, though agree with you that it is important that we all add our voices to this.

I also think this will be useful in the larger lobbying effort with Congresswoman Lee's bill as it adds both a momentum and a sense of credibility.

BTW - can we add the thread from Englishgirl into this thread or visa Versa? I think it's important that people not get confused on the multiple threads and think one only needs to lobby the Department of Homeland Security or The COngress while it is important that we do both.

BTW - can we add the thread from Englishgirl into this thread or visa Versa? I think it's important that people not get confused on the multiple threads and think one only needs to lobby the Department of Homeland Security or The COngress while it is important that we do both.

iggy how dare you suggest tampering with my precious thread without asking my permission?! i think that is a very good idea - goderators please can you work your magic?

"I'm not keen on the idea of the afterlife - not without knowing who else will be there and what the entertainment will be. Personally I'd rather just take a rest." Oscar Berger, PWA: Looking AIDS in the Face, 1996. RIP.

Sorry 'bout that... didn't mean to step on your toes. The reason why I made turned this announcement of the DHS proposed rule into a separate thread is because it's different from the overhaul legislation being proposed by Barbara Lee and highlighted in your post. Thus, if it's okay by you, I'm simply can to provide a link here to your important post, in the hope that everyone reading this will check out your vital comments as well:

Following on from the good work of Iggy, Em & Tim, I’ve got a list of contacts for UK citizens and also for Canadians.FOR UK CITIZENS:Suggested minimum effort:1. Write to your MP2. Write to the PM3. Write to Lord Chris Smith4. Go on to the THT website and fill out their e-petitions

To find & contact your MP:http://www.writetothem.com/Includes Find your MP service that enables constituencies to be identified from postcodes

FOR CANADIANS:Sorry I don’t know much about your govt, but it appears that you should be contacting your MP & Senator. This site appears to be a good start:http://canada.gc.ca/directories/direct_e.htmlIncludes search for MP & MS by name & constituency

CONTENT OF THE LETTERS:The main points you want to be including in your letter have already been outlined by the others above, but key points are that the proposed amendments go nowhere near far enough – poz people are still discriminated against. Barbara Lee’s bill should be supported as it is superior to the suggestions currently being considered.

Additionally, as Tim said, we should be asking for:1. The development of "HIV visa" application forms that differ from the I-601 "waiver of excludability" used to screen foreigners with other communicable diseases.2. The development of a centralized, U.S.-based office staffed by individuals who have undergone extensive HIV training to review all applications (thereby limiting the risk of prejudice and bias among untrained staff at U.S. consulates around the world).3. Eliminate the need for in-person interviews for HIV-positive people in all countries, regardless of whether or not the country is participating in the U.S. visa waiver program. 4. Strict policies and procedures to safeguard confidential medical information.5. Strengthening of the "Specific Conditions of Admission, Control and Return" (Part IX.B of the proposed rule) language so that "controlled state of HIV infection" is not meant to apply to individuals who may have detectable viral loads or are not currently on antiretroviral therapy. 6. The inclusion of people of positive HIV status in the current visa waiver programme (amendment of the legislation and the I-94W form to exclude HIV from the list of communicable diseases).

Anyone who doesn’t feel they have the time to prepare their own letter, PM me and I will send you over one to cut and paste.

Additional suggestion:Why not ask your friends to send letters as well? Surely our friends both positive and negative could be adding their voices…

"I'm not keen on the idea of the afterlife - not without knowing who else will be there and what the entertainment will be. Personally I'd rather just take a rest." Oscar Berger, PWA: Looking AIDS in the Face, 1996. RIP.

"I'm not keen on the idea of the afterlife - not without knowing who else will be there and what the entertainment will be. Personally I'd rather just take a rest." Oscar Berger, PWA: Looking AIDS in the Face, 1996. RIP.

This issue is sufficient in terms of importance, globally, to pursue a lot of media attention about it leading up to and on WAD. If there are teenagers who believe " AIDS was cured" then surely there are a gazillion folks who have zero idea of this travel ban.

We could certainly put press release-style templates together to be copied/pasted and sent by forum members to newspapers, tv and radio station, both locally and nationally (US) and internationally. And, they can even be mailed anonymously!!

Top urgent , Me and my husband are going for a trip of 2 weeks to usa , i read somewhere that hiv+ are not allowed to enter into the usa, is that correct? feels like I am in a bad movie... how could it be? am I suppose to declare i am hiv once enter into tthe usa? i will take the drugs with me , i will store them in vitamins packages , do u think it will work? i have tickets and traveling visa , I am so scare thy wont let me in.